


The Girl in the Little Red Coat

by SilverWillow5



Category: Little Red Riding Hood (Fairy Tale)
Genre: Little Red never made it to Grandma's house, Oneshot, Short Story, there is no wolf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWillow5/pseuds/SilverWillow5
Summary: Red was a bright little girl, often cutting through the woods on her way to her Grandmas house. One warm fall day she begs her mother to let her walk to Grandma's while she was at work. Her mother complies. But warm fall days turn into freezing fall nights, and Little Red is far too easily distracted.
Kudos: 1





	The Girl in the Little Red Coat

**Author's Note:**

> Just a plot bunny that has been hopping through my head for awhile, based on something one of my friends said, "What if Little Red Riding Hood never made it to her Grandma's house?"

Once upon a time there was a girl named Little Red. Little Red was not her real name but, rather a nickname given to her by her friends and family, for the color of the clothes that her mother had dressed her in since she was a little girl. Now, some people may think that Little Red’s mother was a little cruel, or maybe even a little crazy, but she was just cautious, and for good reason. Her daughter loved to wander in the fields and pastures that surrounded their house, and would often make the long trek to her Grandmother's house alone. So wearing the bright color made it easy for her mother to see where she was.

One sunny fall day Little Red was pleading with her mother to let her get out of the house while she was away at work. Red was getting cabin fever. She was normally a very energetic little girl, and having to stay inside for the past few days had been sheer torture to her.

“Mom,” Red pleaded, following her mother around as she grabbed her keys and purse. “Can’t you just let me go to Grandma’s house? It’s not that far away, and if I leave now I can be there in time to spend the night!”

“Well,” her mother replied in a frazzled voice. “I suppose you can, but only if you go straight there young lady! No shortcuts or detours this time, and I mean it! The last time that you decided to wander off, I only found you because of the red coat that I made you wear. I’ll call Grandma and tell her that you are on your way once I get to work.”

“Thanks Mom, have fun!” Red called out to her mother as she leaned over the threshold of the door.

“Now you remember what you promised me, go straight there, no silly detours. It’s getting dark earlier and earlier, there will be no way for you to find your way back in the dark this time of year.”

As their dinged-up blue pickup rolled out of the driveway and down the road toward town a shout came from the window, “And don’t forget to wear your red coat!”

As soon as the pickup was out of sight Red let out an excited whoop of joy. “Yes!” she shouted and raced about the house. In record time she shot out the back door, raced across the backyard, and ran into the field, completely forgetting about bringing her red coat with her.

\---

It was only about twenty minutes into her walk that a bright flash of light glinted off of something in the woods. Red stopped and glanced in the direction that it came from. The light flashed once more. With cautious steps she walked past the edge of the field and into the woods. Ducking under a wayward branch she continued deeper, the light never seeming to get any closer, until finally there it was, the source of the mysterious light, a stream.

Red gasped in delight. It looked beautiful, the trees were in full color, leaves drifting gently down in the breeze. She raced down to the water's edge to look, the stream seemed so clear and inviting that she just had to put her feet in.

Little Red continued to play in that stream until the sun set beyond the trees. As the last of the light left the sky Red decided to continue on to her Grandmas house. Except, as she walked through the trees, she realized that she was lost. The woods that had seemed so inviting in the daylight was a trap in the dark. Red began to shiver. The day may have been warm but the night was quickly dropping down to freezing, her soaking clothes slowing her down and making her even colder.

Red shivered again, _I wish I stayed on the path,_ she thought. _I can’t even remember if I have been this way before._ The wind whistled through the trees, the noise eerie in the darkness. Her teeth began to chatter. Then, as she stepped around a small grove of trees, there was the stream again.

Red felt exhaustion welling up inside of her. She slumped to the ground and propped herself up against a tree. _I hope that Mom will find me soon,_ she thought. _But I am so far off the trail maybe she won’t be able to find me at all._

After a while Red’s eyes began to drift shut, she felt as if she could fall asleep. The cold that she previously felt left her and she was warm now, even though her limbs wouldn’t move. Her last thought was, _Maybe if I had worn my red coat she could see where I am._

\---

The next fall a portion of trees in a local woods turned blood red, not one of their leaves a shade of orange or yellow. When some students from the local University came to check out the strange phenomenon, they found the skeleton of a little girl lying on the ground under the trees, leaves covering her bones like a little red coat.


End file.
